Fire-fighting apparatus.



w. P. RICKARD'.

FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC-7,1914- I 7 1,155,958. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I 70717 3 51mm wwmwa I W. P. RICKAHD. FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 19'4- 1,155,958.

5 SYHEETSSHEET 2.

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l/vi bnamo Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

- w. P. IRICKARD.

FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1914.

- Patented Oct. 5, 1915.-

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

5 HO 0 0 a o o o o o slum/M 3 W. P. RlCKARD.

FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 7, 1914. 1,155,958. Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

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W. PLRICKARD. FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 7. 1914.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN P. Brennan, or IfLYMOUTI-I, massacnnsnms;

FIRE-FIGHTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented o t. 5,1915.-

Application filed December 7, 1914. Serial No. 875,889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN P. RICKARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plymouth, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented cerissued July 12, 1881, to L. D. B. Shaw,and

bearing No. 244,323. In carrying out this object, I employ a number ofnovel features of construction andcombination hereinafter described andclaimed and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevationof a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, showing thevertically adjustable ladder partially extended and also showing thesame tilted; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the laddercontracted and in position to be transported; Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 6; Fig.4 is a horizontal section as seen on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and6 are vertical transverse sections as seen respectively on the lines 5-5and 6-6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a detail vertical longitudinal'sectiontaken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a detailvertical transverse section through a portion of the truck, the turntable mounted thereon, and the plat-form which is mounted to tilt onsaid turn table, showing more particularly the application of one of anumber of levers which may be employed for rotating the table; Fig. 9 isa detail section as seen on the line 99 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 10 is asimilar view taken on the line 10-10 .of Fig. 9.

In these drawings, constituting a part of the present application, thenumerals 1 desig: nate a pair of longitudinal side bars whose front andrear ends are supported respectively by front and rear axles 2 and 3,these axles having any appropriate'type of wheels 4. The centralportions of the side bars 1 are bulged laterally outward to providesupports for a fixed bearing ring. 5 which is here shown as T-shaped incross section and,

as having its outermost horizontal flange overlying the bars 1, whileits upright flange contacts with the inner sides thereof.

Positioned above the ring 5, is a movable bearing ring 6 while a numberof ball bearlngs 7 are interposed between the two rings, these bearingsbeing held against dislocation by suitable means (see more particularlyF 1g. 8). With the parts in this position, a number of C-shaped clips 8are secured to the upper ring and extend downwardly w1th1n the two ringsand beneath the inner flange of-the ring 5,'whereby the movable ring mayrotate upon the fixed ring but may not move vertically in respectthereto.

Extending transversely across the movable ring 6 at suitably spacedintervals, is a pair of supporting sills 9, these sills carrymg bearings10-at their centers, and said bearings'revolubly receiving stub shafts11 which project laterally from a tilting platform 12. which is spacedbetween said sills 9 'as seen in the variousfigures of the drawings. Asshown in Fig. 3, this platform 12 is also spaced slightly above thesesills.

Depending from the forward end of the tilting platform 12, is a gearsegment 13 with which a driven gear 14 meshes, the gear 14 being in turndriven by an intermediate gear 15 which meshes with a driven pinion 15,the latter being here shown as formed integrally with one side of awheel 16 Whose periphery is provided with a number of recesses orsockets 17 (seemore particularly Fig. 3). These various gears and thewheel 16 are revolubly mounted upon transverse shafts and are locatedbetween the arms-of an arched supporting bracket 18 which rises from themovable ring 6, and the recesses 17 in the periphery of the wheel 16coact with a spring projected bolt 19, which bolt may be raised andlocked in raised position by any suitable means. When said bolt israised, the pinion 15 is rotated by a pair of cranks 20 to drive thegear 14in such a manjustments, a seat 21 is preferably located adjacentthe bracket 18 and is supported by suitable standards which rise fromthe lower end of said bracket or directly from the movable ring 6, asthe case may be. Rising from substantially the center of the platform12, is a vertically extensible standard 25 which is composed of aplurality of telescoping sections 26 and 26' these sections being ofsubstantially the same length. By reference more particularly to Figs. 3and 9, it will be seen that the uppermost section 26 of the standard 25is of solid construction and that the lower end thereof either contacts.with or is secured to one section 27' of a flexible rack bar 28, thisbar being normally wound upon a drum 29 in the same manner and for thesame purpose as shown and described in the patent above referred to.

The section 27 is shown, in Fig. 3, as meshing with a gear 30 which isrevolubly mou t 1 beneath and supported by the platform 12, said gear 30being mounted upon a transverse shaft 31,. and being driven by a pinion32, the latter being rigidly keyed to a transverse shaft 33 whoseopposite ends are provided with cranks 33 whereby it may be rotated. Asmost clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 6, the shaft 33 is revolu-bly mountedin bearings 34 which project laterally in opposite directions from theforward end of the platform 12. As also seen in Fig. 6, but moreparticularly in Fig. 7, the shaft 33 is provided with a ratchet wheel 36which coacts with a locking leyer 37 for preventing retrograde movementof said shaft, whereby the flexible rack 28 may be locked in any one ofits vertically adjusted positions, it being understood that the rotationof the members 33 by means of the cranks 33 will project the varioussections of the standard 25.

In addition to the gear 30 which is mounted upon the shaft 31 and whichimparts rotary movement to said shaft, a second gear 40 is rigidly keyedthereto. this gear being adapted to drive the drum'29 through theinstrumentality of a gear 41, a pair of idlers 42 being interposedbetween said gears'40 and 41 as clearly seen in Fig. 7. This gear 41 isrevolubly mounted upon a fixed shaft 43 which is provided with aplurality of coursely pitched screw threads, similar threads on the hubof the drum 29 being engaged with said threads on the shaft 43.

The drum is driven from the gear 41 by the provision of a finger 44which projects slidably from said gear into a keeper 45 on one end ofthe drum. The action of this inechanism is identical with that of theparts seen in Fig. 4 of the patent above referred to, the screw threadsbeing provided on the shaft 43 in order that as the drum rotates, it,will shift endwise and will thus be properly located in respect to thestandard, at all times, to allow the numerous sections of the'fiexiblerack bar 28 to pass freely through the guide 46 and upwardly into thetelescopic standard.

Rising from the forward end of the platform 12 is an extensible ladder50 which comprises a plurality of slidably engagedsections 51, saidsections being equal in number to the number of sections of the standard25. Secured in any suitable manner to the upper ends of the varioussections is a plurality of rings 52 from which rigid arm 53 extend inopposite directions. The outer ends of these arms are reduced andpassthrough one end of links 54 and through the upper ends of truss rods 55as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 9, while the other ends of said links 54are secured by bolts or other suitable means to the upper ends of thesections 51. In order that upward movement on the part of the uppermostladder may raise other sections of the ladder, when said upper sectionhas moved beyond a predetermined point, the lower ends of all thesections, with the exception of the lowermost, are provided with slides56 which contact with the links'54 when the various sections have beenraised to their limits. (See more particularly Fig. l). lit is to theseslides 56 that the lower ends of the truss rods 55 are secured, thelowermost of these rods, however, being secured to the front end of theplatform 1.2 as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of aiding the operator in tilting the platform 12 tomove the ladder from an oblique to an upright position, four tensiondevices are provided. Two of these devices are in the form of coilspring 60 whose upper ends are secured to brackets 61 adjustably mountedon the lowermost a truss rods 55 while their lower ends are secured toother brackets 62 which project tion of the standard 25, while theirlower ends are secured to cables 64 which latter are passed around guidepulleys 65 located near the axis of the platform 12 and around similarpulleys 66 which are located eccentrically on said platform, the pulleys66 being here shown as located near the rear support forthe telescopicstandard when the ladder is in lowered position as seen in Fig. 2. Bythis last described construction, when the platform is tilted to movethe ladder from the position seen in Fig. 1 to that seen in Fig. 2, thesprings 63 will be placed under tension, this tension being likewiseexerted to assist in returning the parts to their normal positions.

Since the mechanism supported by the truck is comparatively heavy and isof great height, it becomes necessary toprovide means for bracing saidtruck to prevent it from tilting. For this purpose, four brackets 70 aresecured to the side bars 1, these brackets having their lower endsformed into outwardly extending hooks 71 (see more particularly Fig. 5)while their upper ends are equipped with pairs of outwardly extendingears in which upright shafts 7 2 are mounted to oscillate. To theseshafts 7 2 the upper forked ends of brace rods 73 are pivoted, in such amanner as to allow said rods to move vertically. The rods 73 areprovided with sharpened noses 74 which are adapted to bite into thepavement when the machine is being used. At suitable points, these noses74 are provided with upright openings and pulleys 75 are revolublymounted in said openings, these pulleys receiving the intermediateportions of cables 76 which are anchored at one end to the lower ends ofthe brackets 70, while their other ends are secured to bolts 73' whichlie parallel to the bars 73 and which may slide in bearings 77 whichrise from said bars, the other ends of the bolts 73 being connected tothe lower ends of coil springs 78 having their upper ends anchored tothe forks. Un-

der normal conditions, these brace rods are swung to the position seenin Fig. 2 and are supported by the hooks 71 and when the device isapplied to use they are extended as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the tensionof the springs 78 being then exerted to retain the noses 74 in contactwith the street or pavemen't. With the parts in this position, the bolts73 are locked against movement by the provision of set screws 79 (seemore par ticularly Fig. 4), whereby the lower stretches of the cables 76act to positively prevent the rods 73 from being moved upwardly.

The structure above described may be equipped with any appropriate typeof hose,

80, the latter being here shown as passing loosely through a number ofguides 81 which extend rearwardly from the rings 52 (see' Figs. 1 and9),the upper end of said hose being connected to a neck 82 which dependsfrom an angular coupling 83, a nozzle 84 pose,

, tate the turn table to vary the position of the up er end of theladder. For this pursee more particularly Figs. 4 and 8) the upper ring6 is provided with a number of uprlghtguides 90 through which a pair oflevers 91 may be'inserted, said levers having their inner ends reducedand adapted for insertion into recesses 92 which are formed in the outersides of the sills 9. The

levers 91 may be normally positioned upon a suitable platform 93 and anysuitable rests which rise therefrom, but may be applied to use as seenin Fig.8 to rotate the ring 6 upon the ring 5 as hereinbefore suggested.It also becomes expedient to provide means for locking the ring 6 orturn table as it may well be termed against rotation. For this purpose,said ring is provided with a number of notches 95 in its periphery,these notches coacting with a suitable spring pressed latch 96 which'ispivoted to one of the side bars 1 (see more particularly Fig. 6).

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be-seen that a comparatively simple and rigid devicehas been provided for carrying out the object of the invention, yet thatthe efficiency thereof will not be impaired by such simplicity.

The device may be applied to a great number of uses well known to thoseskilled in the art, and may be adjusted to a great many differentpositions, it being thought unnecessary to go further into the detailsof construction and operation.

I claim:

1. A fire fighting apparatus comprising a truck, a standard risingtherefrom and composed of a plurality of telescopic sections, radialarms projecting from the upper ends of said sections in oppositedirections, links secured to and projecting laterally from said arms, aplurality of slidably engaged ladder sections, one pair of links beingsecured to the top of each section, inclined truss rods leading from thelower ends of said ladder sections to the remote ends of the links,means to raise the uppermost standard sections, and a series of stops onthe ladder sections to cause the latter to be successively raised.

2. The combination with a truck and fire fighting means risingtherefrom, of a plurality of inclined brace rods pivoted to said truckto swing downwardly, bearings on said rods, guides near the lower endsthereof, bolts slidable in said bearings, coiled springs connected tothe upper ends of said bolts and to relatively fixed parts of thedevice, flexible elements depending from said bolts around said guides,said elements then continuing inwardly and being secured to a relativelyfixed part of the, machine below the pivot of the rods, and means forlocking the bolts against sliding movement.

messes In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence oftwo subscribing wlt- 1o nesses.

WARREN P. RIGKARD. Witnesses JOHN F. MOORE, EDWARD A. BURNETT.

